The #19 Joe Gibbs Racing team was handed a penalty by NASCAR following an inspection of the Daytona 500 pole-position winning Toyota Camry.
The car was evaluated at the NASCAR research and development centre in Conrod, North Carolina where modifications to the spoiler were discovered.
NASCAR delivered an “L2-level” penalty, which includes “modifications to Next Gen single-source vendor supply parts and/or assemblies,” per NASCAR.
The team was found to be in violation of Sections 14.1 of the rule book, which covers overall assembled vehicles rules and 14.5.8.A in relation to the spoiler.
NASCAR found the spoiler base was modified.
“Crew chief (James Small) has been suspended from the next four NASCAR Cup Series championship points events, through and including Las Vegas Motor Speedway,” NASCAR’s penalty report read.
The team and driver were each docked 100 points and 10 playoff points.
On top of that, the team was delivered an AUD $157,000 (USD $100,000) fine.
Small has been a staple of the Joe Gibbs Racing stable. He was Martin Truex Jr.’s right-hand man until his retirement from full-time racing at the end of 2024.
Before NASCAR, Small plied his trade in Supercars with Garry Rogers Motorsport, Paul Morris Motorsport, Kelly Racing, and Ford Performance Racing before heading to the USA in 2014.
The Australian’s first NASCAR job was with Richard Childress Racing before joining Furniture Row Racing and then Joe Gibbs Racing.
